Cross-sectional study reveals urban-rural differences in anxiety symptoms, suggesting socio-economic influences.
Key Points
Anxiety symptoms are more prevalent in rural Chinese university students, with 40.2% reporting symptoms compared to 36.8% in urban areas.
Depressive symptoms contribute significantly to anxiety differences, accounting for 51.07% of the disparity between rural and urban students.
The study utilized a cross-sectional survey with 7,230 questionnaires and applied the Fairlie decomposition model to analyze contributing factors.
Implications highlight the need for targeted mental health interventions that address socio-economic factors and encourage exercise among rural students.